Before the First Task
by forgottensea
Summary: When Harry and Ron have a row right before the First Task, who'll be there to tell Ron, "Is losing a friend like Harry really worth it"
1. Before the First Task

Ron watched Harry storm up to the dorimtory. He looked down at the badge that he had thrown at him before storming off. He pressed the small button that made the _Potter Really Stinks_ appear and looked at it. That's what many people thought.Was he one of them?

Ron sat down on the couch and continued to stare at the badge. A bunch of people hated Harry for the fact that they thought he was trying to get more glory and play hero….like he does at points. Ron didn't hate him….he was just sick of Harry always getting everything that he, Ron, wanted: money, being a good Quidditch player, an only child. It wasn't that Ron didn't want his brothers and his little sister. No, he'd never think of parting with them, but at points he wanted so badly to just run away from the life he had and start a whole new one.

Ron walked over to the girls dormitory stairway and looked up it. Hermione had said once that if any boy tried to go up the stairs, the stairs would turn into a slide and they'd never get up to the girls' dorm. For once, Ron surprised himself with the fact that he actually remembered something Hermione had said to him. He didn't want to call up to her. He was scared he'd wake some of the others up. He didn't need to be teased anymore by his brothers.

Ron quickly pulled out his wand and whispered, "Cendorla!" The girls' dormitory door opened.

"Hermione!" Ron half called, half yelled up the stairs. Nobody came to the door. "Hermione!" he called a little louder. Still, nobody came. "Ahh, bloody." Where was that girl when you really needed her?

"Ron?"

Ron jumped into the air and dropped the badge. He turned and saw Hermione standing behind him, clutching a book close to her. She looked up at the dorm room and with a wave of her wand, it closed.

"What are you doing?" she asked

"Looking for you!" Ron said. He looked at her book. "What, did Madam Pince finally tell you to leave the library?"

"Just doing a little research on elf rebellion," Hermione said.

Ron shook his head. This girl was insane.

"Why were you looking for me?" she asked him. She looked down at the badge and picked it up. She stood back up and stared from the badge to Ron. "Ron…you're not seriously thinking….Malfoy's a slimey git! You've said so yourself! You can't seriously…Harry's trusted you since first year and this is how you-"

"No! If you're thinking I'm joining up with Malfoy's side, you've seriously lost it, 'Mione! I need to talk to you about Harry though. That's why I was looking for you," he said.

Hermione sat down on the couch and gesturded Ron to sit down next to her. He hesitated. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

I mean, she's a girl! She won't understand you're worries, Ron! But she's one of your best friends….she'll understand you some.

Ron sat down next to her.

"What happened?" asked Hermione.

Ron told her everything from the very beginning, right from when Harry's name was called from the goblet of fire, to at the moment Harry had stormed off to the dormitory. Hermione listened to the entire thing without inturupting him. This was what he loved so much about her. She'd listen to any worries Harry or he had. She always tried to be there.

When Ron was done talking, his voice was hoarse. Crookshanks wandered into the common room and jumped into Ron's lap. He started to stroke his back and he heard soft purrs coming from the cat.

"You and Harry have been best friends since the beginning of first year when you had met each other on the train. You showed you really cared about him when you had taken that hit in the chess game. You could've died during that game, but you didn't care. If it gave Harry a chance to save the stone, than you probably would of been willing to cross burning hot lava butt naked, right?" said Hermione.

"Well, if I were to cross hot lava butt naked, I don't think I would want either of you to be there, but I suppose that if that's what I would have to do, that's what I would do," Ron said, scratching Crookshanks behind the ear.

Hermione went on saying, "In second year, you again risked your life for him. Going down into the Chamber of Secrets with him when, and you even said so yourself, you thought at some point down there that you might never see the light of day again. Third year, remember when you had said "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too"? I have to admit, I didn't quiet expect that to come from you."

"Well, it was probably what you would've said as well. It was just a spur of the moment," Ron said, blushing slightly that she had remembered he had said that. But then again, this was Hermione after all. She could remember anything.

"You're pretty protective of both me and Harry. Everytime Malfoy tries to insult Harry or make fun of him, you always stand up for him. I could never imagine Harry going anywhere without you just cracking jokes the entire way or talking constintly about Quidditch. I have to admit, I kind of miss the Quidditch talks you two have whenever you're together. It's a little bit boring without you around, Ron," said Hermione.

He knew right away that she missed him a little. It was true that he and Harry were pretty inseprable and the whole reason she had tried to become friends with them in first year was because she felt she could truly trust them. She felt the bond that was being created between Harry and himself and wanted to become a part of that. And because she did, both of them took it on themselves to take care of her.

"What's Harry been doing while I was….off on my own?" Ron said, trying to come up with the right words.

"Mopping about. I don't really think I'm enough for him to have. He needs someone he can really talk to, Ron. When will you come to you're senses and realize that Harry _did not_ put his name in the goblet of fire? Someone else did it! Didn't you see his face when his name was called? Didn't you see the way he just sat there, shocked, appalled? Or are you as blind as I _used_ to think you were?" asked Hermione.

"I'm just so sick of everyone saying he's so great all the time. I was one his best friends! Did they take notice of the person who took that hit in the chess game for him? Did they take notice of the person who braved huge spiders to try and help a friend out? Did they take notice of one of the two people who stood by his side when barely anyone would! Did they notice the person who was willing to risk his life for the boy-who-lived! No! Not at any time!" Ron almost shouted. He was shaking when he had stopped.

He looked at Hermione. She was looking at the ground. God, he hated it when he had those outbursts like that around her. She'd start crying or shrink back a little from him. She'd become scared.

When she spoke, her voice shook slightly, "Harry did. I did. You're brothers were so proud of you when you had earned Gryffindor 50 points for playing that chess game. I've never seen Fred or George looking so proud of you for as long as I've known them. The same goes for Percy. Ginny doesn't care weither or not you did something brave. She loves you just the same as her big brother. What about what happened last week? When Malfoy's spell had hit me and my teeth started to enlarge? Both of you stood up for me. Second year. When Malfoy called me a Mudblood? You took hurling slugs for me." Ron noticed she was crying slightly. "Harry looks up to you at points because you did all that stuff for both of us. You look after us like a big brother would and he misses that. Please…go talk to him, Ron!"

Ron pulled out a tissue from his pocket and offered it to Hermione. She took it gratefully.

"I'll talk to him after the first task is over with, 'Mione. I just…need to think it over."

Crookshanks rubbed his head against Ron's hand and he started to stroke the cat again. He was so needy. Hermione must spoil him.

"Will you talk to him?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe. I don't know."

"Please?"

Ron looked at Hermione's pleading face. She had learned it from Ginny. He hated that face.

"Okay, okay! Fine! I'll talk to him…but after the first task! I need to think this over first on how I'm actually going to be able to talk to him. He's not that easy to convince at points," said Ron.

"Don't I know it," Hermione muttered.

After a few moments of silence, both ackward and, in Hermione's case, sad, which was only broken by Crookshanks' purring from Ron's scratching him behind the ear, Hermione finally blew her nose one last time.

"So…you _will_ talk to Harry eventually?" she asked him.

"I promise."

"Don't make promises, Ron. Make it your duty to do this. I don't think I could stand another moment of Harry complaining about how he can't stand you not being around him again!" she said.

She called Crookshanks and he jumped out of Ron's lap and fallowed Hermione up the dormitory stairs. She looked back at Ron.

"Aren't you going to go back to bed, Ron?" she asked.

"Nah. I'm not tired. I need to think a little anyway," he said.

"You want some company?"

Ron looked back at Hermione, a little surprised. This was the first time she had ever offered to stay with him when he was alone. He could tell she was scared of him at points. He'd have those random mean outbursts towards her and she'd shrink back slightly, frightened.

The last time she had stayed with him when he was alone was in second year. He had snuck into the hospital wing a few times to see her while she was in her little catgirl form. The way she looked didn't scare him in the least bit. He had five older brothers, four of which who could get into trouble within a snap of the finger, and he had seen a lot of misshaping going on. In fact, he felt she was kind of lonely, seeing how Harry and Ron could only come to see her once or twice a day, for homework and just to talk to her.

"Only if you really want to. I'm not pushing you," Ron said and turned to the fire. He heard the door open, then shut. Hermione was tired. He understood. Ron buried his face in his hands and rubbed his eyes. _He_ was tired.

The reason he had woken up was because he had that stupid dream about how the twins had locked him up in the attic with the ghoul when he was four and had terrified him to death. He didn't like the fact that Harry's bed was empty. It worried him some, so he had gone down to see if he was in the common room and low and behold…

Ron ruffled his already messy hair some and looked down at the floor. Not a very intresting floor, but it still gave you something to look at. He looked at his too-short pant legs. They used to be Percy's pajamas and they didn't quiet fit him anymore. He had only gotten them last year and he had already grown out of them.

He jumped slightly at the feel of having someone put something around him. He looked. It was a blanket. A blue blanket, but still a blanket. Hermione sat down next to him on the couch. She had changed into her nightgown.

"You looked a little cold. Afterall, those pajamas are a little small for you," she said.

"You didn't have to come down and stay with me, you know," Ron told her.

"Oh, I don't mind. Everyone needs someone, right?"

"I guess so, yeah."

Hermione smiled slightly and rested her head on Ron's shoulder. It was actually his arm, concidering how short she was compared to him, but he didn't mind. Ron hesitated, then put his arm around Hermione, pulling her closer to him. She looked down at his hand, but kind of just shrugged it off as if it was nothing and relaxed in his grasp. Ron covered her up some. She looked cold.

Hermione laid her head down in Ron's lap and sighed a little.

"Last time we were this close was in second year, remember? After I had woken up? You had to carry me to the dormitory so I would be able to take a shower and change!" Hermione said, laughing slightly.

"Yeah, I remember that. You were so weak and could barely speak," Ron said, smiling a little. It was hard to forget that.

He had carried her on his back up to the common room and, probably because she was with him, he was able to take her up to the dormitory stairs and had her sit down on the bed. She was so weak and her legs buckled something awful. He felt sorry for her so he stayed for about an hour or so helping her learn to walk again. He had lost count of how many times she had callopsed while trying to walk. She had cried from the pain, but Ron just wouldn't let her give up and eventually, she was able to walk for herself.

Down in the Great Hall, she had just come running towards him and Harry, crying "You solved it! You solved it!" She just didn't have the energy to do that when she had woken up. She had hugged him so tightly, he thought he would burst. After she had let go of him, she whispered to him, "Thank you for helping me back in the dormitory."

Ron looked back down at Hermione. She had fallen asleep. He smiled to himself and covered her up more. If he didn't have Harry by his side, he was sure glad that Hermione was. He wouldn't know what to do next if it hadn't been this know-it-all, bossy, bushy haired girl.

"Night Hermione," he whispered.

"Night Ron," she whispered sleepily back.

He would talk to Harry after the first task. By that time, he'd be ready. By that time, he'd know what to say. He'd probably have to sit next to Hermione to make sure she didn't start screaming out in fear or faint while Harry was out taking his turn. Ron laughed to himself. That's their Hermione after all.

Ron took her hand and held it in his big hand. He'd have Hermione for support with him the whole way. She always did. Well…not always, but when it came to Harry, yes. She always did and he loved her for that.

FIN


	2. After the First Task

Thank you to all who have reviewed: **eckles, Rutu, **and **Lost Beauty** I really appreciate it. Also...I was planning on this to be a one shot fanfic...but I got the idea (thank you **Rutu**) for what to happen after the first task. Please enjoy! Disclaimer: I WISH I owned Harry Potter, but the great, wonderful, almighty, amazingJ.K. Rowling does. All HP related things belong to her. Thank you and enjoy the fanfic.

* * *

Ron sat silently, his mouth half between a look of dumb-founded ness and a look of pure terror. Before he knew what he was doing…or saying for that matter, he was turning to Hermione and saying, "We're going down there now!"

Hermione just smiled. "I've been waiting for you to say that," she said and, grabbing his hand, pulled him out of the crowds of Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beaubaxton students.

A few feet from the tent Ron had seen McGonagall pull him into, he pulled away from Hermione. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, 'Mione. Really…I don't think this is going to end well." It's odd, he thought. At first, when I saw Harry fighting that dragon…I thought what if he died? And he died knowing I hated him? Now, though, that he's safe…does it really matter?

"Ron…you promised me. You promised…no _swore _to me you'd talk with him! You swore it!" Hermione yelled at him, stamping her foot.

"Feelings and thoughts change, Hermione. You, of all people, should know that," Ron said quietly, avoiding eye contact with her.

He knew she was going to start crying at any moment now. He just knew it. She always did at a time like this. When faced with a horrible circumstance that you can't deal with, cry. It works! He was surprised, however, to hear no sobs and no "Ron…why are you doing this?"

"You're a real git, you know that?" was what she said instead.

Ron looked up at her in surprise. "What?"

Hermione's face burst into a smile and she laughed slightly. "You're a git and you know it, Weasley! I knew that from the first moment I met you that you were a git! I bet Harry knew that as well…but you know what?" Her face then became serious. "Both Harry and I had been willing to look past that and I know he appreciates more than anything that you were willing to look past the fact that Harry's famous and all and just treat him normally."

Damn, she's good at this, Ron thought. She always was good at bringing up the guilt in people.

"I have been trying for the past few months for you and Harry to realize that you're both only halves of a whole. Apart…you've got no use for that sense of humor and he's got no for being truly happy. Sure, I'm a friend, but you're his best friend, Ron. I'm just someone who really just bumped into you two because I was looking for a toad!" Hermione went on to say.

"No, you're not! You've been a friend to both me and Harry during this entire time!" Ron told her.

"That's just it: a friend. Harry can't have conversations with me about Quidditch or tell stories that I'll understand. Two pieces of bread, one with jelly and one with peanut butter, are no good alone. But when they're put together…it makes a pretty good sandwich," Hermione told him.

Ron stared at her for a moment or two. It was so much like her to try and put it on the contexts of food for him. She knew his greatest weakness was, in fact, food.

She knows me way too well, Ron thought. "Which side of the sandwich am I?" he asked a small smile across his face.

"The peanut side because you stick," Hermione said playfully.

"Hmm…that works," was all he had to say.

For Hermione, he knew when to show her that she's won. He'd just let her do as she pleased without any comments made. He let her grab his hand and pull her towards the tent where Harry was. The scratch marks on her face only showed half of what she was feeling inside when everything happened. She was near tears when Harry got hit by the dragon. Ron had done everything he could possible think of to try and tell her he'd be okay.

Ron's heart was beating a mile a minute. "You can't make me!" he hissed and tried to pull away.

"You-can-do-it!" Hermione said, pulling on his hand.

"I don't want to go!"

"You swore to it! You were going to do it just a few seconds ago!"

He was trying to pull one way, she was pulling him another. One way or another, he'd have to choose a side he wanted to be on. Without Harry…or with Harry.

"What is wrong with you, Ron!" Hermione yelled at him.

"I'm scared!"

Hermione froze. She let go of his hand and stared at him.

"What?"

"I'm scared, alright? I'm scared to see him! It's one thing saying something, but doing is something totally different!" Ron said his head bowed. He had never showed any sort of feelings of being scared around anyone. He had tried to block out that feeling since the ghoul in the attic incident. He felt weak.

Two hands grasped his and held them gently. He knew they were Hermione's for two facts: her hands, compared to his, were probably only a little bit bigger than half the size of his and, two, there was a scar on her hand from where one of the exploding chess pieces hit her hand in their first year.

"Why would you be scared to face Harry?" she asked him quietly.

"After everything I've said…everything I've done…I wasn't there by his side to help kick Malfoy's ass or to help him deal with all those rotten feelings that are felt towards him and…I just feel terrible about it," he whispered.

"Don't be. Think about Harry, though, Ron. All the bad feelings he's going to have towards you as you had for him. He's going to probably feel just as bad for not being by your side when Malfoy tried to kick your ass…but really he wouldn't need to help you…seeing as to the fact that he had a black eye for a week and a half after he made of Ginny in front of you," Hermione said, smiling slightly.

Ron couldn't help but smile as well. Hey, it was Malfoy's own fault for not watching his mouth in front of him. If anyone was going to talk crap about his sister, they were going to pay.

A soft pressure was felt against Ron's cheek and he felt his entire body go red. He watched Hermione break the kiss and smile up at him. He was in pure shock. She waved her hand in front of his face and laughed.

"I knew that would work, now come on," she said and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the tent.

He suddenly knew what she had done: she had stunned him so it'd be easier to get him to move. He couldn't help but smile. How did she know that would work on him so easily?

God, Harry looked bad when he saw him. Now sooner had they seen each other, had they been pushed out so he could be told about the second task. When he came out, it seemed as though they had never been apart.

"The dragon was awesome looking…at least from a distance, I bet, though," Ron was saying when they past Malfoy.

"So, you and your boyfriend have gotten back together, have you, Weasley?" he sneered.

Ron heard Crabbe and Goyle smirk behind him and one of the best insults he had ever thought of came into his head

Very calm and coolly, Ron responded with, "I see your two boyfriends never left."

There was a moment's pause and then…SLAM! Ron landed face down in the grass, a stinging pain in the back of his head.

It was totally worth it, though, he thought as Harry helped him up.

"Say that again, Weasley. I dare you!" Malfoy yelled.

"It was totally worth it though, you have to admit," Ron muttered to Harry. He muffled his laugh. "I'll take that dare, Malfoy. Don't they smoother you terribly when they kiss you?" Ron asked him.

The Weasley twins, who hadn't been far back in the crowd, came up behind Malfoy and made kissy-kissy sounds. Malfoy whirled around and was about to hit them, when Fred placed one of his Headless hats on top of Malfoy. His head disappeared and George knocked him over.

"Oh my, the headless horseman seems to have lost his horse!" George said through fits of laughter as Malfoy got up and tried to pull the hat off.

"Now he's just headless. See…I put glue in the hat, so if he wants to get it off before the day ends, I suggest doing that soon before his air will run out pretty quickly if you ask me," Fred said.

Ron looked over at Hermione and saw her trying to keep a straight face as Crabbe tried to pull the invisible hat off of Malfoy's invisible head.

"I really shouldn't be laughing…but really…I'm very proud of Fred and George for this idea!" Hermione said. "Brilliant!"

"And we're very proud of Harry! Come on, Harry!" George pulled Harry up onto his shoulders and went, cheering, towards the doors, with other Gryffindor's right behind him cheering as well.

Harry turned around and looked at Ron and Hermione. "I better see you up there, Ron, or I'll go searching for you myself!" Harry called to him.

"What, miss your celebration up in Gryffindor tower? Never! I'll be up there soon!" Ron called to him.

He watched Harry disappear into the castle and then turned to Hermione. She smiled up at him and hugged him.

"I'm also very proud of you, Ron, for actually facing Harry. That was very brave of you," she whispered.

"I had you to help me," he muttered, blushing slightly.

Hermione broke away from him and took his head. "Come on…you deserve a butterbeer," she said and pulled him towards the castle.

**FIN**


End file.
